


The Walk to Town Square

by m5rg5r3t



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, Character Death, Cheating, Divorce, Fluff, Heartbreak, I'm Bad At Summaries, I'm Bad At Tagging, Major Original Character(s), Multi, Non-Canon Relationship, Non-Canonical Character Death, One Night Stands, Regret, Religion, Self-Harm, Slow Burn, Some Humor, Suicidal Thoughts, Two Endings, pierre sucks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:54:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28204941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/m5rg5r3t/pseuds/m5rg5r3t
Summary: Margo is a previous Joja employee, running from her past in order to finish her novel.Kai is a young farmer taking after his late grandfather, who has more than a handful of family secrets that could ruin the perfect image of the Fielder name.Julian is a veteran on a mission to discover himself through the Freeman family.When the trio break the silence hovering over Pelican Town, all hell is let loose, and despite it's cheery image, is the community really as loving as the Mayor makes it seem?
Relationships: Abigail/Sebastian (Stardew Valley), Alex/Haley (Stardew Valley), Caroline/Wizard | M. Rasmodius, Clint/Emily (Stardew Valley), Elliott (Stardew Valley)/Original Female Character(s), Evelyn/George (Stardew Valley), Gunther/Sandy (Stardew Valley), Gus/Pam (Stardew Valley), Jas/Vincent (Stardew Valley), Jodi/Kent (Stardew Valley), Lewis/Marnie (Stardew Valley), Maru/Male Player (Stardew Valley), Robin/Demetrius (Stardew Valley), Shane (Stardew Valley)/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	The Walk to Town Square

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize for the horribly low quality of this fic and it's summary, it's the first one I've written in years. 
> 
> This diverges from the canon SDV plot quite a bit, and may seem quite confusing at first, but I'm somewhat sure it will be cleared up in later chapters.
> 
> Enjoy!

**MARGO**

'What is my job? What do I even do? I sit at this desk every day, from 9-9. I type for hours on end. I must be doing something of significance, because it gets me the check, but I don't have a clue why. What do people in offices even do? Process data? Who knows, and who gives a damn? I'm probably supposed to.'

Clicking the pen's end and closing the journal's leather cover, Margo swiftly got back to work, that was until...

"Psst!" 

She could feel a face looming over the cubicle behind her. In a scratchy southern accent, the figure continued:

"What time is it?"

"Don't you have your own computer? That tells the time. With a built-in clock?" she asked, already frustrated.

"I broke my computer last week."

"Call IT."

"I broke it on purpose."

"Oh. 3:27"

Margo heard a faint whisper of gratitude as the slender man squirmed back into his space. Her edgy pessimism seemed to spew negative things about Frank constantly, but she always kind of loved the guy. He had a sparkle to him that snapped her out of the depressing fog she found herself in after stepping into the Joja building. 

Tapping the desk lightly with she fingernails, she started to get back into the groove of work, but she just, couldn't. Margo put her head in her hands and sighed, but soon felt a tap on her shoulder. 

"It's time for our break" Samara, the intern, said softly. 

'Great.'

'When the big bad, supervisors give us a sliver of freedom for a 30 minute sulking period, I go to the break room. The walls are painted with a slick chambray color that clashes with every appliance in the room. It reeks of ink, coffee, and gossip, and it is heaven. I would lie and say that it's an escape. What is there to escape from? Even if I'm sober, I'm never fully conscious, but it still seems like a relief to talk to flesh and bones, even if it's those I hate. I try not to blame all of my co-workers for my problems. On the other hand, if it's Larry, I blame him. For his douche-y personality and lack of showers.' 

The short and stout man stomped up to Margo as she was writing, as if he was reading her thoughts, and wanted to spoil her day more. ''He has always has an unnerving glimmer in his eye, and secrets burning a hole in his brain this time of day. Larry has a mustache. I think that explains a lot.'' thought the girl. Immediately, as he opened his mouth and let the words slip out, Margo's mind began to wander. She could only assume it was talk of how annoying the voices of their co-workers are, or how the 'game' went last night. She really wished she could just say:

"I genuinely, from the bottom of my heart, do not care."

Everyone hates Larry. Margo especially did. She began scribbling in her journal again.

'His ego is suffocating and I can't bear it along with all the other pointless stuff I put up with at Joja. Sometimes I take a pin to his inflatable self worth, like I'm going to today.' 

She looked up for the first time in a many minutes, and interrupted the man.

"Why don't you shower?"

He replied, "I do."

"Hm."

Margo walked back to her cubicle, journal and pen in hand. 

-

  
As she headed home from work on the crowded bus, Margo began to cry. Of course, as everyone else near her was caught up in their own lives, nobody noticed. This granted her a sweet release from judgement. She cried harder. As more and more people started to get off, Margo put pen to paper:

'All my life, I have walked into parasitic situations. Every boyfriend, girlfriend, or friend in general, all they wanted was money and attention. I was free of parasites for so long, and now I am one. My father lost his business to Joja, yet I still go to work every day. My father died hurt and with nothing under his name, and I am the reason it happened.'

The final letter jolted up and slid to the side of the page as the bus came to a screeching stop. Looking up, all she could see were beige, glittering sands that stretched miles. There were numerous ornamental palm trees bearing perfectly ripe coconuts. Cacti sat at every corner, with it's colorful fruit and flowers standing out. It was a natural heaven.

''This is it,'' Margo thought, not considering any consequences, ''-this is where I need to be.''

And so she grabbed her bag and hopped off the bus.

  
**KAI**

  
"If you lost your job for the billionth time, and you haven't showed up here to help organize files, what the hell have you been doing all day?" The burly,suited man slammed a beefy fist onto the table. 

"Nothing." The boy paused, taking a slow breath. "Is that what you want to hear? I've been sitting around all day, dreading life, and doing absolutely NOTHING." 

The middle aged man sighed, looking down on the teen as if he was inferior. Re-buttoning his blazer, the CEO sat back down at his desk.

"I didn't raise you to act like this." 

"You didn't even try to raise me." 

Kai left the room in a hurry, careful to not show emotion. 

Public bathrooms hardly pass as safe, let alone sanitary, but the boy still sat on the tile floor and began to weep. He knew that no matter how much he dismissed his father, the man would always be right. Kai did nothing. 

In senior year at Grampleton High, he dropped out. Same with community college, and same with any job that came his way. Being raised by a constantly working single father left him with what seemed like one option: rebellion. No matter the case, Kai always ended up with nothing. Of course, any time he jumped out of the plane, he always had his father's money as a parachute, and he hated it. He just wanted to fall. He wanted to fall, and stay down, without ridicule or rehab, or any harsh words, but he knew it could never happen.

Without a moment of thought, the boy pushed himself up, took a few shaky steps, wiped away the running tears, then began to march to his father's office. 

Kai didn't knock. He stomped right in, looked his father in the eye, and held out a trembling hand.

"I want to open it."

"What?" the man replied, seeming oblivious.

"Grandpa's letter for me. I'm ready for it."

"Oh."

The man stood and walked to a matte black file cabinet, which was already packed full. After a moment of rummaging through crumpled papers, he pulled out a manilla folder labeled: 'Family'. 

"This should be it." He said, handing a white envelope over.

The letter was sealed with shiny purple wax, which had crumbled at the edges over time, but the center, decorated with cursive letters, still bonded the paper together. Kai looked up, nodded at his father, and left the office. 

This letter was special, he could feel it, but it felt as if an unseen force was preventing him from opening it. 

'Maybe it's not the right time, or place.' the boy thought, starting to get nervous. In a single impulsive move, he peeled the seal off, and pulled out a piece of parchment. Written on it was:

"Dear Kai, 

If you're reading this, you must be in dire need of a change.

The same thing happened to me, long ago. I'd lost sight of what mattered most in life... real connections with other people and nature. So I dropped everything and moved to the place I truly belong.

I've enclosed the deed to that place... my pride and joy: Fielder Farm. It's located in Stardew Valley, on the southern coast. It's the perfect place to start your new life.

This was my most precious gift of all, and now it's yours. I know you'll honor the family name, my boy. Good luck.

Love, Grandpa  
P.S. If Lewis is still alive, say hi to the old guy, will ya?"

A rusty key fell from the envelope.

  
**JULIAN**

It took merely a second for his hearing to go completely out. The sickening cracking of bones, the screams of the innocent, and the roar of bullets, all combined made a hellish cocktail of sound. Julian couldn't handle it. 

'Where else could he be? He has to be here." the teen thought, entering a tent, labeled with a red cross.

Just as Julian had predicted, on a stretcher laid Kent, the son-of-a-bitch that ratted him out to the general. It took a few seconds for the injured man to open his eyes and focus on the figure above him.

"I could kill you right now." Julian sputtered, on the verge of tears.

"I know, you should." he replied.

Julian broke for a moment, wrapped Kent in a hug, and let the tears run freely. The man winced for a moment but hugged the teen back. He knew that it was his fault Julian was getting discharged and felt awful, but at the same time felt a deep sense of relief that he wouldn't die here, young, with a bright future ahead of him. 

"Find my sons. My wife. Tell them I loved them more than anything."

"I will."

Julian ran out of the tent, sniffling and red. The border of Gotoro wasn't visible, but the truck driving towards it was. Squinting his eyes, Julian picked up the pace from a shuffle, to a jog, to a run, and then started sprinting towards the symbol of sweet freedom. 

''I could name every one of the 13 faces in that truck bed. They have to reach for me. They will. They all know that I'll die if they don't'' Julian thought, starting to get nervous as the truck picked up more and more speed. The dust swirling in the air made it hard to breathe or see. 

''I've been good to these people. They will save me.''

Julian closed his eyes, stuck his arms out, and powered forward, and felt a hand grab his coat sleeve.

-  
It was a few months since escaping the battle field, and he had finally gotten to the Ferngill Republic, safe and sound. Since Julian had been gone, the country they called home had changed. War propaganda, Joja flyers, and newspaper clips littered the streets. The cold demeanor of the nation bothered him, but finding Kent's family was more important then feeling 'at home'. Arriving at the previously booked motel, the teen unpacked, setting up a single cracked picture frame by the bed. 

In Ferngill, where there are only 3 small towns surrounding the Gem Sea, you can find anyone. That's what Julian hoped, at least. 

''A shame that phone books aren't used anymore. Well, Kent IS old...'' Julian thought, before sliding the hefty book out of the nightstand drawer. 

  
"Damn, this thing is heavy," he sighed, flipping to the 'Fr' section. 

"Freeman, Freeman," he muttered, sliding a finger up and down the pages.

"Jodi Freeman!" Julian exclaimed, tapping the name in relief.

'Jodi B. Freeman- (000) 000-0000  
1 Willow Lane, Pelican Town, Stardew Valley.'

Looking back at the picture frame, he bought a ticket within seconds.

  
**STARDEW VALLEY**

It was a groggy Sunday afternoon. The grass swayed with the light breeze, and if you listened closely, you could hear the river flowing, Clint's furnace rumbling, and the clicking of shoes in the town square. It was calm. Then came Mayor Lewis.

The man was running, at least what running counted as when you're his age, up to the carpenter shop. He had just gotten the phone call the whole town had been awaiting for years. The farmhouse had been inherited.

When Mr. Fielder went home to lay on his deathbed, Lewis was given the task to preparing the farm for his grandson. After making the bed for the final time, Lewis cried. The two had been glued at the hip since they were born, and now, they were separated. Forever. Now that the so-called grandson had opened the letter, it set everything into motion. This could save Pelican Town. 

Robin was dozing off at the checkout counter, but the abrupt noise of Lewis bursting through the door woke her immediately. Confused and concerned, the woman shuffled over to help him. 

"Kai Fielder." the mayor mumbled, out of breath.

It took a moment for Robin to understand what he meant, but when she did, she began to panic. She hadn't prepared the Fielder Farmhouse. Sure, the Mayor tidied up after Mr. Fielder left Pelican Town, but its been decades since then. She could hardly bring herself to imagine the dust piled up on the sheets, but she fixed her posture, looked Lewis in the eye, and knew she could do it.

"When will he be getting here?" she asked. 

"Two-" the man huffed, "-hours.".

Robin patted the man on his back, perhaps a little too hard, then wandered off to gather a few supplies. Lewis left the shop in a slower pace as he arrived. 

Clean bed sheets, cleaning chemicals, a crocheted doily, and various decorations were all stuffed into a canvas tote bag by Maru, the carpenter's daughter, as Robin nervously dialed the Mullner's house phone. It was but a second before someone picked up, and as the soft 'Hello?' suggested, that someone was Evelyn. 

"Hello Evelyn, I was wondering, do you still keep that old quilt Mrs. Fielder made in the attic?"

"Oh, Robin! How are you dearie? Ah- and yes I do. It hasn't moved since I put it up there!" the elderly woman chuckled.

"Great! Do you think you could send Alex to run it over to the Farmhouse for me?" Robin questioned.

"Oh, of course!" Evelyn pulled the phone away from her head, but you could faintly hear her call for her grandson in the background.

"May I ask...why do you need it?" She asked after pulling the phone close again.

"The youngest Fielder boy is here. Its time."

"How wonderful! Well, Alex will be right over. I'll get the news out!" The phone clicked.

A sharp exhale left Robin's lungs, and she threw the bag onto her shoulder. As she left the house, a glimmer of hope shone in her eyes. The woman power-walked from her front yard to the backwoods, a passage to the Farmhouse. As she walked, she revisited the process she had sub-subconsciously planned; Change the sheets, lay down the quilt, dust the furniture, scrub the table, set the decorations, and check to make sure the TV still worked. By the time she reached the Farm, Alex had been waiting on the porch for several minutes. He threw a friendly glance at Robin, stepping down to hand her the battered quilt. 

"Mrs. Wright! How have you been?" He asked, a grin plastered across his face.

"Good, good. Walking here is the most I've moved in weeks." Robin said, knowing the young athlete couldn't relate. He smiled, nodded, and began to walk back home, waving slightly. The woman pulled out a spare key. 

Inside the farmhouse, it smelled of dust and smoke. The old brick fireplace was to blame. Robin set her bag onto the uneven wood floors, cringing at the poor craftsmanship. She had always begged Mr. Fielder to let her fix things up. Noticing herself getting caught up in her thoughts, the woman snapped herself out of the trance by starting to clean.

It didn't take long at all. The final decorations were in their places only 15 minutes after she had started. Robin was almost disappointed at how anticlimactic it was. There was still an hour or so left until the boy arrived. Underwhelmed, the woman began to walk to the Stardrop Saloon for a warm espresso. The walk flew by quickly, as Robin's sleepy haze worsened. 

The light jingle of the door bell snapped her out of it for a moment. 

"Ah! My wonderful Robin, what can I get for you?" Gus, the bartender bellowed heartily.

"Just an espresso Gus." Robin smiled back, shuffling through her pockets for some cash.

"Ah, ah, ah, its on the house." the man said, with a contagious grin. He slid the mug over the bar, making the liquid slosh for a moment. Robin smiled, taking a sip, which soon turned into a gulp.

"You're just too good to me Gus." She grinned, setting the porcelain mug down. She left a generous tip when the man wasn't looking. 

The stool skidded across the hardwood floor as Robin stood, alerting Gus.

"See you later, Miss." He grinned. 

-

As she left the saloon, an awful hiss of a bus could be heard all across the valley. Robin hadn't heard that sound since-  
'The farmer!' She mentally exclaimed. 

It was time. Time for the valley to change.


End file.
